Are you getting frustrated due to Volk’s Buried Past quest in The Blood of Dawnwalker? There’s a certain old fella who claims to be a comrade of Coen’s father, one who had been with him on numerous adventures in a previous life. But he gives you so many chores that seem like a waste of time. Still, if you’re patient, you might just obtain some really cool rewards.
Buried Past and Volk story arc guide
To start The Blood of Dawnwalker Buried Past quest, you have to go to the small village of Maragir, which is due southeast of Laslea Glen. There, you’ll meet a vendor who’ll tell you that Coen’s father, Pieter, has been frequenting a place in the countryside.
If your curiosity is piqued, head over to the marked location. It’s next to the Ruined Hut shrine just outside Svartrau City. Investigate the yard until an old blind man accosts you for trespassing. This leads to a fistfight that you must win.
Talk to the merchant in Maragir (left) to discover Volk’s whereabouts (right).
Volk and Time Progression
The old man is none other than Volk, who says that he served alongside Pieter when they were both mercenaries. If you continue with this quest, Volk will regale you with tall tales of their past adventures. That said, this whole arc requires you to be mindful of how the waiting period impacts the Time Progression system.
- If you want to do every task for Volk in The Blood of Dawnwalker, be prepared to tackle all sorts of mundane chores, many of which cost Time Segments.
- When you’re done with those chores, speak with Volk to learn more about his adventures with Pieter.
- Volk will say that he needs to rest and that you should come back the next day. This means you have to return at that exact time period.
- For example, let’s say you finish chatting with Volk during the afternoon–i.e. daytime at five pips. He won’t have anything new for you the next morning. Instead, your next chat will be for the afternoon, too.
Volk’s chores and chats
Here’s everything you need to know about your encounters with Volk in The Blood of Dawnwalker:
- First meeting: The fistfight with Volk followed by a short chat. You can then do optional tasks, such as chopping firewood and hunting wolves nearby.
- Second meeting a day later: Grab herbs and prepare an ointment, then talk to Volk.
- Third meeting after another day has passed: Board up Volk’s bedroom window and grab Volk’s knife from the rooftop of the hut. Chat again with Volk.
Note: All of these chats, as well as every single chore/activity, costs 1x Time Segment.
Hunt a few wolves (left), look for a missing knife (right), and a bunch of other tasks.
The sparring match, the buried chest, and the monastery
After your third conversation with Volk, you’ll progress through to the latter stages of The Blood of Dawnwalker Buried Past quest:
- Volk will challenge you to a sparring match. If you’re victorious, you’ll receive the Artery Strike Manual. This is one of the best Swordsmanship abilities in the game since it deals high damage and has a chance to decapitate your foe.
- Volk will tell you that Pieter might have buried the gold that they amassed as mercenaries. Tell him that you know of a glade. Heading to this Secret Glade, which gets marked on your map, costs 2x Time Segments.
- Go to the marked area and dig for the chest, which requires 1x Time Segment. This nets you Pieter’s Garb, a legendary light chestpiece that boosts maximum human health, human health restoration, weapon critical hit chance, and weapon critical hit damage. Basically, it’s one of the best legendary armors for your human/daytime form.
- Talk to Volk again to learn that Pieter may have taken the gold to a monastery. Return to Maragir and go to the monastery nearby. Talk to the monk and give him Pieter’s journal, which uses up 1x Time Segment.
- Inside the repository–which also has a second floor accessible via a ladder–you can pick up several manuals. These include the Renewed Focus Manual, Herbal Remedies II Manual, Charge Manual, Medicus I Manual, and Recipe for Minor Balm of Fortitude.
- Finally, go back to Volk and tell him about your findings. This costs 1x Time Segment.
Buried Past conclusion
Revisit Volk’s hut after a full day has passed. Shockingly enough, you’ll notice that there are dead guards in the area:
- You can compel the soul of a dead soldier to learn about how his arm got hacked off by the old merc.
- Volk left behind an epic greatsword–Volk’s Sword–which has maximum human health, Swordmastery ability cooldown, Witchcraft ability cooldown, and damage against supernatural enemies.
That does it for our guide on how to complete Volk’s Buried Past quest in The Blood of Dawnwalker. If you read Volk’s letter, you’ll learn that Brencis sent men after him. He’s left the region in search of more adventures. Speaking of adventures, you probably want to explore new areas with other characters. If so, you can read our Anca: Echoes of Silenced Bells guide and Vicho: A Study In Crimson guide.
